Prospect Scouting Report: Dan Hodges

Chuck Hixson

10/26/2004

Steady, but not necessarily spectacular. That's the kind of pitcher that the Phillies were drafting in the 26th round of the 2003 Draft. Now, with two minor league seasons under his belt, Dan Hodges hasn't reached the level of spectacular, but he is steady and has shown he ability to get minor league hitters out. His steadiness certainly counts for something and the Phillies are watching.

Dan Hodges was an early bloomer. He started his first high school game at the tender age of 13. After a strong, but again, unspectacular high school career, Hodges found himself at Florida State.

Hodges spent his entire college career in the bullpen, pitching in 127 games over four seasons and posting a college record of 14-6, 2.56 with 31 saves.

The Phillies originally looked at Hodges as a "situational lefty", but have found that he can be effective against right-handed hitters. Like in college, the Phillies have kept Hodges in the bullpen and have no designs on moving him to the starting rotation.

Year
/ Team

W

L

SV

ERA

G

IP

H

BB

KO

HR

2003 Batavia

0

0

1

1.26

8

14.1

12

3

13

0

2003 Lakewood

2

1

3

0.82

14

22.0

16

7

13

0

2004 Lakewood

2

3

7

2.96

41

45.2

54

10

31

2

Career

4

4

11

2.09

63

82.0

82

20

57

2

Repertoire: He may be a left-hander, but Hodges will never be confused with Randy Johnson. Hodges is very dependant on mixing his pitches and hitting his spots. For the most part, he has good control and keeps the ball down, which is a key for him.

Projection: Hodges was the closer for Florida State and set the school record for appearances. The Phillies have used him in some closing situations, but are more likely to mold him into the typical "situational lefty" or at best, a setup type pitcher.

ETA: Left-handers tend to move along a little quicker than right-handers because of need. Hodges could be in the majors sometime during the 2007 season and should be battling for a full-time major league job in the spring of 2008.

Comparison:Rheal Cormier. The Phillies have used Cormier typically in a situational role, but have also seen that he can get right-handers out when needed. That is basically how Hodges should fit in.